Two Sisters- George Fradley of Sudbury Derbyshire in April, 1984
[Recording from Veteran VT 114 ('One of the Best') collected Yates, his notes follow. Similar to the American version and Child Y.
R. Matteson 2018]
The Two Sisters- sung by George Fradley of Sudbury Derbyshire in April, 1984 collected by Mike Yates.
Two sisters walked by the river brim, bough down, bough down
Two sisters walked by the river brim, the bough shall bend to me
Two sisters walked by the river brim, the elder one pushed the younger one in
Singing I’ll prove as true to me love as me love proved true to me.
Oh Sister, sister lend me thy hand, bough down, bough down
Oh Sister, sister lend me thy hand, the bough shall bend to me
Oh Sister, sister lend me thy hand, and thy shall have both houses and land
Singing I’ll prove as true to me love as me love proved true to me.
I’ll neither give thee hand nor glove, bough down, bough down
I’ll neither give thee hand nor glove, the bough shall bend to me,
I’ll neither give thee hand nor glove, until thou give me Dai(?) to love
Singing I’ll prove as true to me love as me love proved true to me.
At first she sank and then she swam, bough down, bough down
At first she sank and then she swam, the bough shall bend to me
At first she sank and then she swam, until she came to a mill dam
Singing I’ll prove as true to me love as me love proved true to me.
The miller he came with his rod and his hook, bough down, bough down
The miller he came with his rod and his hook, the bough shall bend to me,
The miller he came with his rod and his hook, and fished the fair damsel out of the brook
Singing I’ll prove as true to me love as me love proved true to me.
Oh miller I’ll give thee guineas ten, bough down, bough down
Oh miller I’ll give thee guineas ten, the bough shall bend to me
Oh miller I’ll give thee guineas ten, he took them and then he pushed her in again
Singing I’ll prove as true to me love as me love proved true to me.
The miller was hung on yonder gate, bough down, bough down
The miller was hung on yonder gate, the bough shall bend to me
The miller was hung on yonder gate, for drowning the farmer’s daughter Kate
Singing I’ll prove as true to me love as me love proved true to me.